Game Notes
SEARCY – The Harding women's basketball team looks for their first win of the New Year on Thursday as they host Southwestern Oklahoma State in Great American Conference play at 5:30 p.m., at the Rhodes Field House.
The Lady Bisons (5-4, 1-2 GAC) ended 2012 with two straight wins. Harding defeated Missouri Southern State 72-53 on Dec. 15 in Searcy and then defeated Christian Brothers in Memphis, Tenn., 57-53 on Dec. 18. Junior guard Kristen Celsor scored a career-high 33 points against MSSU and then captured a double-double against CBU with 20 points and 11 rebounds.
Sophomore guard Shana Holmes leads HU in scoring averaging 15.0 points per game which ranks fifth in the GAC. Celsor isn't far behind her averaging 14.7 points, ranking her sixth in the GAC. Both players are shooting well this season. Celsor leads the team shooting 46.9 percent from the field, which ranks 10th in the GAC and Holmes is shooting 43.1 percent.
Shana Holmes leads the Lady Bisons in 3-pointers made and is tied for eighth in the GAC with 13. Holmes made three against Christian Brothers in her last outing.
Harding ranks tied for fourth in the GAC in steals averaging eight a game. Three HU players rank in the top 10 in the GAC – Kristen Celsor ranks second (2.1), sophomore forward Arielle Saunders ranks tied for seventh (1.6) and senior guard Deshelle Isaac-Boyce ranks tied for 10th (1.4).
Arielle Saunders ranks fourth in the GAC in blocks with 15. Saunders has recorded four blocks in a game twice this season – at East Central and against Missouri Southern State. She has had a block in seven out of the nine games this season.
Arielle Saunders leads the Lady Bisons in rebounds as well averaging 7.4 a game, which ranks sixth in the GAC. Sophomore guard Montana Lewis is tied for seventh in the GAC averaging 7.3 rebounds. Lewis is averaging 10.3 rebounds a game in conference play.
Southwestern Oklahoma State heads into the game with an 8-1 record and have won their last seven straight. The Bulldogs only loss came against Lubbock Christian in the second game of the season. SWOSU has defeated Arkansas-Monticello (77-66), Southern Arkansas (101-59) and Southern Nazarene (91-81) in GAC action this season.
Southwestern Oklahoma State ranks first in the GAC in three categories – scoring offense (80.1), field goal percentage (44.8) and 3-point field goals made (8.4).
The Bulldogs are led by junior guard Michelle Fisher who ranks fourth in the GAC in scoring with a 17.0 points per game average. Junior guard Sarah Mendoza averages 10.4 points and senior guard MaRiah Oyler averages 10.3 points. Mendoza ranks first in the GAC in field goal percentage, shooting 61.7 percent from the field.
MaRiah Oyler and Michelle Fisher are both averaging over two 3-pointers a game. Oyler ranks second in the GAC averaging 2.8 a game and Fisher ranks third averaging 2.4 a game. Both players have made over 20 3-pointers this season.
Southwestern Oklahoma State leads the series between the two teams 6-4. The teams faced each other three times last season. SWOSU and HU split during the regular season but the Bulldogs defeated the Lady Bisons 69-58 in the GAC Tournament finals.
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